The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council (DFWHC) announced today Jessica Rangel O’Neal, vice president of operations of Methodist Dallas Medical Center, was chosen as the 2013 Young Healthcare Executive of the Year. The award honors youthful North Texas professionals who display the impressive abilities of future healthcare leaders.

Jessica Rangel O’Neal

“Jessica Rangel O’Neal has been a skillful and productive executive at her hospital,” said W. Stephen Love, president and chief executive officer of DFWHC. “Her dedicated work on strengthening trauma care has inspired growth and most importantly, positively impacted the lives of many patients at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.”

O’Neal implemented a plan to enhance her hospital’s neurosurgery resulting in the creation of the Methodist Brain and Spine Institute. Her program focused on recruitment, with six new physicians added to the program inspiring stability, volume and growth. Her oversight of the $110 million construction project The Charles A. Sammons Trauma and Critical Care Tower has the facility on-schedule to open in 2014. The 248,000-square-foot trauma center will expand the hospital’s emergency department and include 58 new emergency room beds, six trauma suites, eight surgical suites and a 36-bed critical care unit.

In addition to O’Neal, nominees included Clint Abernathy, professional services officer, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance; Sam Civello, vice president, physician practice operations, Texas Health Physicians Group; Jeremy Eaves, vice president, revenue cycle management, Baylor Health Care System; Raji Kumar, chief executive officer, Dallas Medical Center; Stephanie Madrid, area director, operations, Kindred Healthcare, Inc.; and Marcia Schneider, assistant vice president, office of executive vice president for system affairs, UT Southwestern Medical Center.

The DFWHC Board of Trustees created the award in 2005 to recognize young men and women in healthcare. Nominees must be 40 years of age or younger and employed by a DFWHC-member hospital.

O’Neal will be presented the award during DFWHC’s Annual Awards Luncheon, October 24 at the Arlington Convention Center. Doris Kearns Goodwin will serve as keynote speaker while Florence Shapiro will receive the Distinguished Health Service Award.

The event is sponsored in part by Wilson Elser, LLP, GroupOne Services, CampbellWilson, LLP and Konica Minolta.